as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
after years of toil in a sweatshop, Kim was finally able to start her own dressmaking business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tangle
usually toils plural
something that catches and holds
a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toil
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
In the microcosm, every player, staff member, and yes, possibly even executive, has their own individual story of overcoming and toil which, on Saturday night, was realised in the glare of a thousand camera flashes.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Josh Turek, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
There’s a modern-day Mercury News and East Bay Times pressroom, one where printers toil late at night to produce ink-on-paper versions of the news for those who prefer to read about current events that way.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Noun
Kohli wiped the tears away and looked towards the heavens as all the pain washed away after years of toil and underachievement.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
In the microcosm, every player, staff member, and yes, possibly even executive, has their own individual story of overcoming and toil which, on Saturday night, was realised in the glare of a thousand camera flashes.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Verb
That is where nearly 35 years ago, one of my heroes, former Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, toiled for the passage the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
—Josh Turek, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
There’s a modern-day Mercury News and East Bay Times pressroom, one where printers toil late at night to produce ink-on-paper versions of the news for those who prefer to read about current events that way.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil
Verb
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In this way, AI allows PR folks to compare and contrast strategies quickly rather than laboring over a single version.—
Daniel Lotzof,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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In the years since Trump pulled off his shocking upset victory over Hillary Clinton, the Democrats have been laboring under a series of myths about themselves and Trump that have compelled them to continue digging their own graves.—
Isaac Schorr,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The state’s newest theory is that Zeigler wore a raincoat while shooting his wife and mother-in-law (who was shot with two different guns) and struggling with his father-in-law — despite the customer having the father-in-law’s blood soaked into his pants.—
Gail Hollenbeck,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
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Some team that struggles to hit southpaws will surely want to add him to their lineup.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, the agency strives to keep goods flowing smoothly at the points of entry.—
Adam Stone,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
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The series has never strived to be anything more than opulent fluff, but it still gets consistently pilloried for its lack of realism.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Before his arrest, Soliman worked as an imam in Cincinnati and as a chaplain at Cincinnati Children's hospital.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
9 Aug. 2025
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Our dedicated staff work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all children.—
Stephanie Murray,
AZCentral.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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